Gastric cancers in the human body often stem from precursor lesions and polyps that develop into superficial tumors or other growths. Such lesions and growths typically begin in the mucosal layer of the gastrointestinal tract (e.g., the mucosa of the colon) and, as the cancer develops, may spread to the submucosal layer and beyond. Therefore, many physicians agree that successful cancer treatment and prevention typically requires the identification and removal of suspect tissue from the gastrointestinal tract.
Accordingly, physicians may collect samples of tissue from the gastrointestinal tract (e.g., samples of the mucosa) and test the sample tissue for the presence of cancerous cells. The tissue sampling may be purely prophylactic or may be conducted in response to symptoms indicative of cancer. When cancerous lesions or the like are detected, curative treatments often require complete resection of the suspect tissue.
Various techniques have been developed for removing tissue from the walls of the gastrointestinal tract. Such techniques commonly employ an endoscope that enters the body through a natural orifice (e.g., the anus) and, therefore, often are referred to as endoscopic mucosal resection (“EMR”) techniques.
Prior art EMR techniques typically include a “lift-and-cut” procedure, wherein a snare and forceps is used to grasp and lift the lesion while the physician cuts around the lesion. The cut typically is made through the mucosa and submucosa, taking particular caution not to penetrate the muscularis. However, such techniques have presented several disadvantages, including the difficulty associated with removing the entire suspect region and the risk of penetrating the muscularis during cutting.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved apparatus and method for performing resection procedures within the gastrointestinal and esophageal passages of the human body.